The Federal Government’s new basic daily fee supplement, an extra $10 per day per resident, is now available to aged care providers who are willing to submit a detailed quarterly report (see above).

The supplement is only available to approved providers who formally agree (via an undertaking) and submit the quarterly reports on food and nutrition expenditure and quality of daily living services.

To receive the new basic daily fee supplement, approved providers need to:

• formally undertake to deliver good quality and quantity goods and services
• meet the living needs of residents, with a focus on food and nutrition, and
• submit quarterly reports.

Quarterly reports must be submitted by providers for each service or outlet receiving the supplement, with a first report due in October.

If the obligations required for the extra payment are not met, the payments will end.

“This significant funding boost, worth $3.2 billion over five years, will provide a broad funding uplift to support the sector to deliver better care and services for residents,” Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said.

“The new reporting requirements will strengthen provider accountability.”

The new supplement will be paid monthly, with the first payment to be made in early August based on residents in care in July. If the obligations required for the extra payment are not met, the payments will end.

The new basic daily fee supplement, announced in the May Budget, is in addition to the previous basic daily fee supplement. There is no change to the previous basic daily fee supplement paid by Services Australia.

July 1 also saw the Federal Government implement enhanced reporting for residential aged care providers to meet financial and prudential monitoring requirements to improve compliance and intervention.

First new home care packages released

The new financial year also saw the release of the first of new home care packages.

“Over the coming two years, 80,000 new home care packages will be steadily released, which will build on the 83,105 packages released since the 2018‑19 Budget,” Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Senator Richard Colbeck said.

According to latest Government data there are 167,124 seniors receiving services through a package as at 31 March 2021.

In addition, 1 July marked the implementation of the following measures from The Aged Care and Other Legislative Amendment (Royal Commission Response No.1) Bill 2021:

• Strengthen regulation for the use of restrictive practices, such as chemical and physical restraint, as a last resort;
• Establish assurance review arrangements for home care delivery and administration; and
• Abolish the requirement for the Aged Care Financing Authority (ACFA) to make way for new governance arrangements.